GREECE, N.Y. — The town of Greece has a new chief of police. Town Supervisor Bill Reilich announced on Thursday that Michael R. Wood will take over in the role.

Wood is currently the deputy commissioner for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice. He has also served as the deputy chief of operations for the Rochester Police Department and chief of court security for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Wood is replacing former Chief Drew Forsythe who resigned in October. Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley says Forsythe is facing charges of driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a property damage accident after crashing his police-issued vehicle.

During Thursday's news conference, Reilich said the full report on the investigation into Forsythe's crash will be made public Thursday evening.

Reilich touted Wood's efforts to pass the Professional Policing Act of 2021 as one of the reasons why he is the right person to lead the department into the future.

"He has had his hand on some of the things that have happened throughout the state in law enforcement; policies, procedures and involved in that aspect,” Reilich said. “And that's one of the things I think we need to [do]; bring a fresh set of eyes, fresh set of perspectives to our police department, some guidance [and] true leadership. That's what he is going to offer."

Wood said he is excited to be the next chief and will learn the ins and outs of the department over the next month.

“Nothing gets done without a team,” Wood said. “Nobody does this stuff alone. It’s a relationship business. It’s a world of that and you need to work collectively to enhance the profession. And that’s what I’ve tried to do in my prior role and will continue to do specifically with this police department. Continue to build capacity, continue to build trust and support the men and women of this department.”

Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter, who was a former Greece police chief, provided wood some advice moving forward.

"Be yourself,” Baxter said of his advice to Wood. “This is what the department needs. This is what this community needs. This is what law enforcement needs. He is a great man of character. He's got a work ethic that's second to none, that transcends through organizations very easily; so do negative things, right? Using his positive influence to move forward is exactly what they needed right now."

As for Wood, one of his main priorities will be to maintain the department's overall reputation despite the former chief's resignation.

"It is a solid agency” Wood said. “It's made up of professionals. It's a noble profession. They are outstanding people. Things happen, that's human behavior. We all know that. It's human behavior. You move on."

The Greece Town Board is expected to accept Wood's appointment Thursday night and he will start his new job as chief of Greece police on Jan. 10, 2022.